Moisture meter



Aug. 18, 1964 H. J. WOLLNER MOISTURE METER Filed May 1. 1961 INVENTOR. .zVerberz J 770/1716 United States Patent 3,144,765 MOISTURE METER Herbert J. Wollner, Belmont, Mass, assignor to ACE Fiber Service, Inc., Boston, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed May 1, 1961, Ser. No. 106,743 4 (Ilaims. (Cl. 73-76) This invention relates to a system for measuring the moisture content of samples of wool and other material and has for its objects the provision of a system which is simple and economical in construction, which indicates the moisture content of a sample quickly and accurately even though the content be small, and which is durable and reliable in use.

According to this invention the system comprises an orbital circuit, a pump for circulating air around the circuit, the circuit being closed so that substantially no air can escape or be admitted, the circuit including a chamber to receive a sample of the material, a receiver to collect liquid, a condenser between the chamber and receiver, the circuit extending from the upper end of the condenser to said chamber, and a heater in the circuit to heat the air after it leaves the condenser so that it picks up moisture from the material in said chamber.

In a more specific aspect the system comprises a chamber to receive a sample of the material to be tested, a receiver to collect liquid from the sample, a conduit leading from the chamber to the receiver, a condenser associated with the conduit to condense the vapor from the sample, a duct leading from the upper end of the receiver to the aforesaid chamber, a pump in the duct to circulate air through the system and a heater associated with the duct to heat the air before it passes through the sample, the system being closed so that the air may be recirculated and reheated until substantially all the moisture has been removed from the sample and deposited in the aforesaid receiver in the form of condensate. Preferably the aforesaid duct communicates with the upper end of the sample chamber and the aforesaid conduit leads from the lower end of the chamber, the receiver being located below the condenser so that the condensate flows into the receiver by gravity. Preferably the heater is located adjacent the aforesaid chamber and the aforesaid receiver comprises a transparent graduate which shows the amount of condensate therein. In the preferred embodiment the aforesaid conduit and duct have small diameters to minimize the internal volume of the system, whereby small amounts of moisture may be measured accurately.

For the purpose of illustration a typical embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawing which comprises a diagrammatic view of a system.

The particular embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration comprises a chamber 1 to receive a sample of the material to be tested. The chamber has a cover 2 which may be removed to charge the chamber, the cover being sealed to the chamber by means of screws 3. Below the aforesaid chamber is a receiver 4 having a stopper 5 to seal its mouth. Ex-

3,144,765 Patented Aug. 18, 1964 tending downwardly from the chamber 1 through the stopper 5 is a conduit 6. Surrounding the conduit is a tubular condenser 7 having its ends closed by stoppers 8 and 9, the conduit 6 extending through openings in the stoppers. Extending through the stoppers 8 and 9 respectively are pipes 10 and 11 for circulating cooling fluid through the condenser. Extending from the upper end of the receiver 4 through the stopper 5 is a duct 12 which leads to an opening in the cover 2 of the chamber 1. Disposed in the duct 12 is a pump 13 which may be of any suitable type but which is preferably of the bellows type. Surrounding the duct 12 adjacent the chamber 1 is a heater 14 which is preferably of the wrapa-round type, the heater being supplied with current through leads 15 and 16.

After the chamber 1 has been charged with a sample of wool or the like the system is tightly sealed, the pump 13 started and the heater 14 turned on. Then air is continuously circulated through the system until substantially all the moisture in the sample has been evaporated, condensed by the condenser 7 and deposited in the receiver 4. Then the amount of liquid in the receiver indicates the amount of moisture originally contained in the sample.

By virtue of the fact that the system is tightly closed, its volume is constant and this volume is small, the error effect is negligible even though the moisture content of the sample be small.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. For measuring the moisture content of material, a system comprising an orbital circuit, a pump for circulating air around the circuit, the circuit including a chamber to receive a sample of the material, a receiver to collect liquid, a condenser between the chamber and receiver, the circuit extending from the chamber to the upper end of the condenser, thence from the lower end of the condenser to the receiver, and thence back to the chamber, and a heater in the circuit between the receiver and container to heat the air after it leaves the receiver so that it picks up moisture from the material in said chamber, said circuit being closed so that no air can enter the circuit and no liquid can escape from the circuit, whereby the final level of the liquid in said receiver indicates the total moisture content of the material.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the portions of the circuit interconnective said chamber and receiver have small diameters to minimize the internal volume of the circuit.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein said receiver is a transparent graduate.

4. A system according to claim 3 wherein said receiver is graduated to indicate said total moisture content.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 980,759 France Jan. 3, 1951 

1. FOR MEASURING THE MOISTURE CONTENT OF MATERIAL, A SYSTEM COMPRISING AN ORBITAL CIRCUIT, A PUMP FOR CIRCULATING AIR AROUND THE CIRCUIT, THE CIRCUIT INCLUDING A CHAMBER TO RECEIVE A SAMPLE OF THE MATERIAL, A RECEIVER TO COLLECT LIQUID, A CONDENSER BETWEEN THE CHAMBER AND RECEIVER, THE CIRCUIT EXTENDING FROM THE CHAMBER TO THE UPPER END OF THE CONDENSER, THENCE FROM THE LOWER END OF THE CONDENSER TO THE RECEIVER, AND THENCE BACK TO THE CHAMBER, AND A HEATER IN THE CIRCUIT BETWEEN THE RECEIVER AND CONTAINER TO HEAT THE AIR AFTER IT LEAVES THE RECEIVER SO THAT IT PICKS UP MOISTURE FROM THE MATERIAL IN SAID CHAMBER, SAID CIRCUIT BEING CLOSED SO THAT NO AIR CAN ENTER THE CIRCUIT AND NO LIQUID CAN ESCAPE FROM THE CIRCUIT, WHEREBY THE FINAL LEVEL OF THE LIQUID IN SAID RECEIVER INDICATES THE TOTAL MOISTURE CONTENT OF THE MATERIAL. 